


The Will of the Herald

by xcyfiawnderx



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Anders hates his situation somedays, Chaos will be abound, Cole Is A Cinnamon Roll, F/F, He's waiting for the other boot to drop, I'm not going to post a pairing until it gets closer, Inquisitor Anders (Dragon Age), M/M, Saw a few versions of this sort of situation, Sebastian will have a conniption fit when he finds out, This will be a slow fucking burn story, Vivienne won't know what to really think about Anders when he speaks to her, and make the characters far more lovable, like super slow because I'm stubborn and want to world build as I write
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 09:46:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17020350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xcyfiawnderx/pseuds/xcyfiawnderx
Summary: ~~INDEFINITE HIATUS~~All Anders had wanted to do was go to the Conclave to talk to the three leaders about why he made the Chantry in Kirkwall explode.Instead he wakes up with this green mark on his hand, it's far too quiet for his liking, he's getting death threats, and It's only Tuesday. Or at least it was when he got there.





	The Will of the Herald

**Author's Note:**

> This story will be irregularly updated. I have a work life and a slowly building social life that I have to prioritize.

Consciousness was a fleeting thing, coming and going with sharp little lances of pain that sent him back under the black blanket of relief. He didn’t want to wake, he didn’t want to see what had been done in his moment of weakness by the being he had once called friend. Anders knew what blackouts meant.

Murmurs started to rouse him again, hissing words of anger and distaste which he could just barely make out. Glazed and dim honey brown flickered open and he realized that he was kneeling in a rather uncomfortable position upon the ground in the middle of a room. Silence wracked the room as he let out a faint groan, his head pounding viciously from the faint light of the torches.

Slowly Anders lifted his head, dazed and extremely confused as to where he was and how he had gotten there. The hissing of blades being drawn from their sheaths drew his scattered attention and he turned his head to seek out the source of the sound. Freezing at the sight of multiple blades being pointed at him and the accompanying sneers by their wielders he felt  what little color was left in his face drain out.

_ No, no! I’ve been captured!? I was careful! No one noticed me at a-?! _

His thoughts cut short as a flair of pain lanced up his left arm from the palm of his hand and he lurched forward over it, trying to grasp for the source. A sharp cry left him as a vicious green light flared along his hand, and he could feel it creeping its way along his arm ever so slowly, much like a poison moving through blood veins. Just as quickly as the pain appeared it vanished back into a dull throb that echoed as he panted, hunched over his hand.

Terror then lanced through him as he realized exactly how silent it was. Justice always reacted to his pain or fear, now there was no response? Not just in the room, but also his head. No spitting words of anger, no dark tempting whispers. Not even the near constant scritch-scratching sound of the Darkspawn.

Nothing.

Not a sound but his own racing thoughts, panic flying faster and faster at each moment, because  _ Justice was gone _ as far as he could tell.

In the distance there were quick heavy footsteps, and Anders whipped his head up to stare at the door, a nervous anticipation heavy in his chest. When the door slammed open in front of him he felt the pit of his stomach drop to the ground. He recognized the emblem on the front of the first woman’s armor and he clamped his jaw shut as she circled him.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you for this."

"I didn't do th-"

"You're lying!" She spit out.   
He gasped in pain as his hand flared up when the woman jerked his arm up.    
"Explain this? You walked out of the Fade with this on your hand, nothing else, only  _ you! _ "

"I swear I didn't do this! I don't even remember what even happened!" There was a soft plea in his voice, wanting her to understand that he truly didn't do this. "I wanted the conclave to happen!"

"Then why were you here? The Divine is dead because of this-" She had gotten up into his face, his arm still pulled out stretched beyond where it should be, lifting him up to his knees. He had leaned back as far he could before the second woman deftly plucked his arm out of her grasp and pulled the first back. 

"Enough Cassandra, we need him. We have bigger things to worry about currently. We need him to cooperate with us in this matter."

"Leliana I-"

"Cassandra, we will have time later to question him more thoroughly. It needs to be sealed before we lose too many. Just basics, nothing more."

The dark haired woman, Cassandra, made a noise of anger and turned away as Leliana turned back to him, her arms crossed. “What were you doing at the Conclave? You knew that the whole of Southern Thedas has been vying for your head, yet you slipped passed our guards into it. Why?”

Anders opened his mouth and then shut it as he took a breath and started again. “I  _ wanted _ the Conclave to happen. I want this stupid war to end. Yes I know what I did in Kirkwall was one of many things to trigger this, but I never wanted a fucking war to start! I came in hopes of telling the Divine,The Grand Enchanter, and the Lord Seeker what happened in Kirkwall and why. I just… I wanted mages to learn in their freedom, to not be smothered by the threat of a Templars blade, to be able to have families, and keep their children without fearing them being ripped from their arms. I wanted us to be seen as fellow human or elven beings. Not cattle penned in to be slaughtered.”

Silence reigned in the cell and Anders could feel his heart thumping in time with the pulse of the mark on his hand. Everyone was staring at him now, leaving him feeling exposed and uncertain. He was missing time, he knew that, but how much time was missing was a mystery. The mage remembered arriving at the conclave, hiding in one of the side alcoves to listen to the talks until he could get a chance to talk to all three leaders. Then a faint itching had started at the back of his head in response to another... Another what?

“You still should not have come here Anders. The people here will not welcome you, nor be as forgiving as we have been so far.” Leliana’s words pulled him out of his mind and he swallowed, nodding, having known full well exactly what sort of response he would get.

“I know… but I had to try for all of their sakes.”

“That may be, but you are still our only suspect. You walked out of the Fade itself, a woman and another far more blurry figure standing behind you, and yet all that remains is the mark upon your hand and a destroyed holy site.”

“A woman and something else was behind me?” Anders furrowed his brow, trying to remember what had happened. “I don't know who or what…”

Cassandra spoke up once again, her voice controlled, doing her best to keep it neutral. "Meet us in the Forward camp. I'll take him there. Deal with the chancellor for me, I don't wish to see him at all if possible Leliana." 

Said woman gave Cassandra a small smile before she was gone in a soft whirl of fabric and nearly soundless steps. His vision beyond the door was obscured as Cassandra knelt in front of him and unshackled his hands. Feeling the steady rush of his magic return from the now identified suppression manacles, he drew in a shuddering sigh of relief, even as she gathered his hands and tied them in front of him. "What even happened?"

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes searching his face for a long few seconds before she pulled back, helping him up. "It would be far easier to show you."

He was let up and out of the darkness of a dungeon to the relative warmth of a Chantry. At the end of the walk, Anders flinched back from the brightness of the sky and he lifted his hands up to block it. A hissing crackle was heard as he lowered his bound limbs and he stared up at the sky.

"We call it the Breach. The explosion that rocked the Conclave destroyed the Temple of Sacred Ashes and left only you in its wake." Cassandra had turned back to face him and his heart caught in his throat the longer he watched the rolling fury of the green Breach. 

With his sensitivity to the Fade thanks to his specialization, he could taste the roiling magic in the air. It was thick and it was an almost sweet-sour in flavor, like a fruit bordering on going rotten. Anders watched as there was a rippling pulse up the length of the tear in the Veil, then it struck.

Pain, unlike any of the other previous flares, ripped up his arm and he cried out, trying to grasp at his hand before he dropped to his knees, doubling over the appendage. When the pain stopped he was panting, a thin sheen of sweat on his brow. 

"This mark is killing you. We have slowed it as much we can, but it will consume you in time. We need to know if what you have on your hand can stop this." Cassandra was kneeling in front of him, a small light of concern on her face.

"Or what?" Anders lifted his head, pain still etched into his face. "You kill me? It's nothing less than I deserve."

Cassandra frowned before she stood up again, helping him to his feet once more. "You will get a fair trial. For this and for what happened in Kirkwall."

"I will be made Tranquil, told to confess my actions, and then killed. I know the answer to any of the possible outcomes. I'm not stupid." Anders swayed on his feet before he straightened as much he could determination setting in his frame. "I will help, if only to give the people killed here a chance to rest in peace."

“Thank you, we must hurry.” The woman inclined her head before she turned and placed a hand on his upper arm before moving it to his back, guiding him through the little village.

Anders could feel the burning and angry stares from all of the people they passed. One or two spit on the ground as he passed, derision and hatred visible as well as no small amount of fear. They wanted him to suffer, he could tell, even as murmurs started to make their rounds. He kept his eyes ahead, trying to ignore them as much he could even as Cassandra started to speak again.

"They judge you guilty for what happened at the Conclave, and for the death of our Most Holy. All of these people want answers, answers only you can provide." Her voice was steady, even as a crowd began forming behind them once they reached the gate out of the village proper. 

"Answers I don't even have in other words."

"Yes. Come, once we reach the forward camp we will be able to make haste." Quiet stretched between the two of them as they walked up a gravel and dirt path to a large bridge. "Open the gates, I will be escorting the prisoner to the Breach."

A call returned from the other side of the gate and they were ushered through. Anders' hands itched to help the injured people he could see, but he didn't want to push his luck in asking. Cassandra stopped them in the middle of the bridge and pulled a knife from her belt and cut the ropes at his wrists.

"From here we move quickly. We must make haste to reach the first open Rift." She turned as he rubbed at his skin.

"Where is the first one?"

"Not far, but we should not linger any longer than necessary." The second set of gates shut behind them and they set off at a brisk jog. Several soldier ran back past them, a few carrying stretchers, and others supporting their fellows. 

They rounded a bend after one soldier had told them a group had gone ahead to help take the latest supply wagon to the forward camp. A thunderous crack jerked Anders to a stop and he dropped to his knees once more as a pain far worse than the previous one at the Chantry entrance erupted along his hand and wrist. He nearly bit through his lower lip, muffling the cry of agony, and when the wave passed he knelt panting over the appendage before Cassandra knelt down next to him.

"It's spreading again. We must hurry if we hope to stop this and save you." She helped him back up to his feet and they continued on.

Anders staggered after her, unnerved by the lingering silence in his head punctuated by the crackling and snapping of the Breach above them with echoing pulses in his hand and forearm. He didn't like that he couldn't hear Justice, nor did he like that he couldn't hear the ever present clawing whispers of the Darkspawn that roam the tunnels of the Deep Roads riddling the length of the Frostbacks. It was as they were crossing the bridge behind a scout that the hair on his arms and back of his neck stood up as the sour taste in the air took on a sharp lemony flavor. Anders whipped his head up and lunged forward to grasp Cassandra's arm, pulling her back just as a ball of green fire slammed into the brick. 

He gasped in pain as he slammed into a blunt edged block of stone as they fell to the frozen lake beneath. His head reeled as he distantly registered Cassandra standing and pulling her sword and shield off her back. Rolling onto his stomach took an effort, doing his best to ignore the ringing in his ears as he watched the ground bubble and roil as a Shade came to being.

More roiling green and black started to grow in front of him and he swallowed thickly, knowing Cassandra had no chance to get over to him quickly enough. Casting with no focus was difficult, but he could do it if necessary, he did however take the brief chance to look around to find something that would work. 

A cry of relief left his throat as he lunged for a battered staff he spotted, thankfully unburied next to the collapsed bridge. Cold fingers wrapped around it tightly and he swung the end of the staff around, a ball of fire slamming into the now formed Shade, sending it reeling back with a screech. With a quick thought, he called instinctively, upon two of the Spirits who answered him, Valor and Compassion, and he cast a powerful regenerative and augmenting barrier around Cassandra. Knowing she was fine and her strength bolstered, he refocused on the Shade that was lunging towards him and he slammed another Fireball into it, followed quickly by a Cone of Cold.

The fight against the Shade was short lived and he barely relaxed, letting his arms drop before there was a sword in his face. Anders reeled back in shock before he stopped, staring at Cassandra, eyes wide. 

"Put the staff down. Now."

Anders hesitated, before he nodded. "Alright. I will." 

He hadn't even moved before she spoke again, a tone of reluctance and wariness in her voice. Her sword was sheathed and her shield flung across her back once more. "Wait. Keep the staff. I can't always protect you, use it. We will figure out what to do when we reach the Temple. Come."

"Thank you. Let... Let me know if you are ever injured." There was only a slight inclination of her head before she turned and started moving along the frozen river top.

Anders dismissed Valor and Compassion both for the moment, silently urging them to remain close in case this was to be a long fight. Another distant thought had him wondering where his sudden reconnection to the spirits he had as companions had come from. Justice  _ must _ have been removed from him somehow, as he had lost his connection to all of them when he merged fully with the Spirit. For now he shoved that errant thought aside and the mage rushed to catch up with Cassandra, the staff now hooked to his back.

The next few small fights were simple, easy to manage. He only made a few stops to pick up a few elfroot plants along the way since the leaves, even consumed without being distilled into a potion, had healing and numbing properties. Cassandra had made a few impatient noises but kept her silence on it as he swiftly rolled the leaves and put them into one of the many pockets on his coat.

He was grateful she retained her silence in what he was doing, because if they ran out of potions and he ran out of Mana, elfroot would be their only help until either was returned. The reached the top of a steep flight of stairs and Anders tilted his head slightly. As he listened, he heard a familiar twang and click noise. "Who all is up here?"

Cassandra paused and looked over her shoulder at him with a raised brow. "An elven apostate named Solas, and a familiar face for you. You will see soon enough. Come, it's just up here. They need our assistance judging by the sounds of the fighting."

Both of them picked up their pace and rounded the corner. Anders stopped short, staring at the green tear in the Fade practically screaming with mana spilling out of it along with several shades. Once again the lemon flavor was strong, turning even further sour as another round of demons spilled from the tear. The twang-click combination drew his attention to a very familiar dwarf and he swallowed as he dropped down off the ledge with Cassandra already moving into the fray, a hoarse and taunting shout leaving her. 

Anders steeled his nerves and let a wash of healing magic echo out from him, surrounding all of the fighters on their side and mending wounds and soothing aches. He followed it with another bolstering and regenerative barrier to redirect some of the strikes from the demons and then lashed out with a cone of Cold, freezing several shades in place.

Well trained crossbow bolts and bursts of Spirit magic struck the frozen effigies, shattering them like glass and a triumphant cry echoed from the Warriors that were there as Cassandra struck down the Greater Shade with a swift blade thrust through its chest.

There was a crackling screech and the Rift ruptured, splitting wider for a few moments. The elvhen mage darted over to Anders and grabbed his left wrist, dragging him forward. "Hurry! We must close the Rift before more appear!"

With his hand yanked forward towards the tear, Anders felt something like a hook latch onto the mark in his hand and he struggled to pull it back, his fingers clenching along with his teeth as he pulled. An echoing snap had him and the elf staggering backwards, Anders cradling his hand to his chest.

"Well done. It seems my theory was correct. It seems the mark on your hand _ can _ close the Rifts, possibly the Breach." The elf relaxed, his arms held behind him comfortably as he watched Anders. 

Anders himself felt like he was being judged, weighed for... Something. Familiar footsteps coming up to his side had him straightening and bracing himself as he looked down to meet Varric's eyes. His voice caught in his throat with the intensity of the dwarfs stare. He knew that the shorter being hadn't forgiven him for what happened at Kirkwall, but he also didn't expect to live this long. "Varric... I..."

For a heart stopping moment Anders fully thought that Varric was going to smack him with his crossbow, but the dwarf just sighed heavily and slung the weapon over his shoulder. "I know Blondie. Save it for later, we'll talk then."

Anders felt like his throat had closed up around the apologies that wanted to spill out of his mouth. He swallowed thickly and ducked his head to the side. A soft clearing of a throat had him lifting his head up to look over at the elf once again. "How... How did you know that could happen?"

"I didn't, merely a theory that I was, and am pleased, proved to be correct. I am Solas." Solas greeted Anders with a slight incline of his head. 

“Anders.”

Something about the elf bothered Anders, but he couldn't quite place what it was, and instead he ignored it for now, knowing it likely wouldn't matter for long anyway. The sound of a soft snort to his side drew his attention briefly back to Varric. "What he means Blondie, is he's the one who kept that mark from killing you in your sleep."

"It was nothing, I did only what little I could, the Spirits at your call did the rest to ease you. You do have quite the amount of companions at the edges of your connection to the Veil. Far more than any other Spirit Healer I've met." Solas's veiled compliment caught him off guard and he shifted awkwardly for a moment as he ran it through his mind. 

"I know, I don't know why they have lingered after what I did in Kirkwall."

"They understand your motives and actions far better than we do. Spirits are not like us, the living, they see things plainly and clearly. Spirits themselves have no ulterior motives, just as most Demons make their desires and wants clear to us. But even still, you are unique. Peace and Harmony rarely ever speak to anyone outside dreams in the Fade or not of Avvar heritage." 

That announcement felt like another blow had struck him within his chest. He hadn't been able to hear or see any of the Spirits he called upon in years, not since Justice. Anders closed his eyes and focused upon his connection to the fade for a few moments while Varric spoke to Cassandra, telling her what was going on while the occasional piece of input was given by Solas.

The elven mage wasn't wrong, there was a large group of Spirits, larger than he remembered, hovering at the edge of his connection. Each one calling out in greeting, Hope, Mercy, Compassion, and Joy being the loudest and most pleased of them to finally be heard again. Joy and Compassion curled against his back and shoulders while Hope and Mercy both clung to his chest, elation bringing a relieved smile to his face before the four Spirits he had commonly called upon retreated back behind the Veil. He blinked his eyes open, seeing Solas watching him through the corner of his eyes. 

"You need all the help you can get out here Seeker. It's a mess, far worse than when you left to Haven this morning. You need me out there with you." Varric's voice was firm, and very unyielding, the tone something the dwarf had likely learned from Hawke.

Anders let his eyes fall to the dwarf then he looked up to Cassandra who looked like she was fighting the urge to punch something, probably Varric. Reason finally won out and she released a disgusted noise and turned away. "Very well. We must hurry to the Forward Camp from here, Leliana should be there by now. Hopefully the Chancellor will be elsewhere."

“Before we start moving Seeker, You should know that while he is a mage, not even he could have had enough magic to do something this catastrophic. It is likely he was merely in the wrong place at the right time.” Solas held Cassandra’s gaze for a few moments before she nodded slowly and the elf bowed his head in return.

A hand grabbed his sleeve to get his attention and Anders turned only to yelp as he was pulled down to eye level with Varric, both of them were practically nose to nose. "Kirkwall was one thing Blondie, but if you had anything to do with this, Bianca and I will have a long overdue chat with you."

"This wasn't me Varric. I know you don't believe me, but I swear this was not my doing. I  _ wanted _ the Conclave to happen, I didn't want a fucking war to happen, just for them to open their eyes to what happened in Kirkwall." Anders kept his eyes steady, an internal mantra of  _ Please believe me Varric! _ replaying over and over again as he waited while Varric searched his face. 

"You still have a shitty poker face Blondie, I believe you. But I still want to have words about Kirkwall." Varric's hand released him and Anders stood up straight, not even bothering to fix his cloak where it was rumpled. "We need to hurry up before the Seeker gives herself a nosebleed from frustration."

A bubble of laughter escaped Anders mouth and he covered it with an awkward cough as Varric gave him a sly smirk before he hopped over the low wall that had been mostly cleared out of the way. The healer followed quietly, coming up to where the other two in their group had stopped, just outside of the range of a group of demons.

“Varric knows, but I’m primarily a Spirit Healer as my specialization. However, I am also an Arcane Warrior, the parent class of Knight Enchanter, so I might join you in the front fighting Cassandra. To even the odds since our group is a little top heavy.” Anders had stopped them from going further forward for a moment. “I just need to find a sword hilt to start with. If we can find one undamaged that is…”

Cassandra watched him for a moment before slowly nodding and turning her attention back to the meandering demons. “Very well. I am grateful to know that, but I do ask that you stay back for now. You have to be taken to the Breach without injury, even if you are an exceptional healer. For now, let me handle close range, assist Varric and Solas.”

The blond hesitated for a moment before nodding and he closed his eyes, a hand lifting to cast barriers around all of them. He opened his eyes again and nodded as Cassandra moved, sword and shield coming off of her back, and lunging into the midst of the group of shades and wisps. Once more quick work was made of the group and Anders carefully made sure that no one sustained injuries that could potentially be life threatening.

While he did that Varric worked his way through the quickly fading bodies of the Fade denizens, finding anything that was worthwhile to salvage or sell. Cassandra had a few bruises on her ribs and across her abdomen that Anders had felt through his magics touch and they were quickly taken care of. Solas shook his head when Anders offered to heal any wounds the elf had acquired.

“I am fine. No blows, magic or physical reached me thanks to the strength of your Barriers. I do not believe Varric was injured either, so conserve your strength for what will come next.” The elven apostate kept his staff at the ready when Varric returned to their group and Cassandra had finished cleaning off her blades.

“Nothing worth selling for a bit of coin I’m afraid. I’m ready when you are Blondie.” Varric adjusted his gloves again as he stood beside Cassandra. 

“Right… Let’s keep moving then.”

Another small group of shades and wisps were dispatched swiftly and then they reached a second small rift in front of the narrow bridge leading to a split in the path ahead. When the gates opened, Anders’ eyes sought out any signs of injured soldiers, but a firm hand on his elbow, courtesy of Solas, stopped him from bolting over to the short line of injured men and women being tended to by a trio of harried looking healers or apothecaries. Varric nudged his hip opposite Solas with his shoulder, gesturing towards the other end of the bridge where there was another gate.

However between them and their destination was an angry argument being carried on between Leliana, the hooded woman from before, and a man in Chantry livery. There was a high amount of anger, fear, and sheer outrage in the air, not just from the pair, but from the soldiers on the bridge. Anders felt the same glares that followed him in Haven from the people here. Some were far more intense, but the blond kept his eyes forward, darting from Leliana to the man as they finally reached them.

“And here he is, the man responsible for not just one of our holy buildings going up in flames, but  _ two of them _ . I want him in chains this instant. He must be taken to Val Royeux to be tried for all of the crimes he’s committed.” The man pointed at Anders and the blond clenched his jaw, fingers flexing tightly against the material of his ratty overcoat that had been put on him. 

“Chancellor Roderick, with all due respect you have no say in these matters. You have no authority here.” Leliana’s voice was sharp as she crossed her arms over her chest, eyes flicking to Anders briefly before returning to the much older man. “He willingly-”

“I do not care Sister Leliana, he is still responsible for everything leading up to this. He must be taken in for Trial.”

“No.”

Anders startled at the sound of Cassandra standing up to the Chancellor for him and he turned to look at the Nevarran woman. There was a fire in her eyes and she stepped forward to her full height as she stared the man in front of her down. The blond swallowed thickly and remained quiet, well aware of what was going on and he wisely was keeping his mouth shut.

“We need him to seal the Breach before it gets any larger Chancellor. He has already proven that he can seal the smaller ones. The one in the Temple of Sacred Ashes must be closed as well to stop this from going any further out of hand than it already is.” The woman’s voice was firm and unwavering as she spoke to Roderick. 

“Another way to close it will be found. The next Divine will decide what we will do. Call the retreat Cassandra, this fight is fruitless and more lives will be lost if we keep at the front.”

“With all due respect Chancellor…” Solas stepped forward and nodded his head in an effort to be polite. “This is the original opening into the Fade. If we close this one, it is very likely we will have very little difficulty shutting the remaining Rifts when they have been found. Let him close it, then if you absolutely must have a guard around him.”

“He is a criminal! One who started this whole war and fled as soon as the fighting started!”

Only the feeling of a hand clamping down on his wrist stopped Anders from opening his mouth to retort to the obvious baiting that was coming out of the Chancellors mouth. Instead of speaking he looked up to the Breach, swallowing thickly at the sheer size of it, and the fact they hadn’t even reached it yet. Another sharp crackle of magic had him tensing and clenching his hand while he grit his teeth through the pain.

“That is not for you to decide Chancellor. You have no authority here, you’re just a bureaucrat. A glorified cleric not important enough to be at the talks.” Cassandra spat back at the man. “He has been willing and cooperative so far. I am willing to give him a chance to make this right and listen to his reasons for what he has done.”

Anders blinked in shock at that little admission and he stared at the back of Cassandra’s head before glancing down to Varric who just shrugged and let go of the blond’s wrist as Leliana spoke up again.

“The Breach can be closed. It must be closed before it spreads as Solas said.” The redhead looked to Anders and tilted her head slightly. “We should take the pass over the mountain. I had two squads of Scouts go through the passages to find a way through, but I haven’t heard anything yet from them. It is faster through them, and the possibility of finding them would be great if we move quickly.”

“We should go with the soldiers. The passages have yet to be mapped and it is likely we could get lost. The Commander can only hold out for so long with his exhausted troops. They have been fighting on rotation with little to no rest.”

“Be that as it may Cassandra, we  _ have _ to get to the Breach sooner rather than later. He can hold the line with them until we reach it, then retreat behind o-”

A sharp slam of a hand onto the table from Roderick stopped both women from continuing. “Enough! Neither will happen. Call the retreat Seeker, our position here is lost for now. We must regroup and return when we are better equipped with the Divine’s blessing.”

There was a long silence before Cassandra turned to look back to Anders and her head tipped to the side slightly. “What do you think we should do?”

Taken aback, Anders froze for a second as the question processed in his mind. “Wait… You’re asking me what we should do? I appreciate that you are willing to listen to my reasoning for what I did but…”

“You have the Mark, you are the only one who can close the Rifts.” Solas interjected quietly from his right and Anders looked to him for a moment before looking up towards the mountain, his brow furrowing slightly as he thought.

“You said that the mountain passages are faster right?”

“Yes, my scouts would have left markers for you to follow along the walls they have passed to guide those that were lost.” Leliana spoke softly.

“Who is leading the soldiers and how many are there at last known count?”

Varric made a gesture to not say anything behind Anders that the mage didn’t see, but Cassandra ignored the dwarf who muttered softly. “Oh damn…”

“Cullen Rutherford is leading the soldiers. At last count there was near a hundred soldiers of various skill levels there.”

Anders tensed and inhaled sharply, his mind deciding almost instantly what he was going to choose. “Through the mountains. If we can find the missing scouts of yours, we can send them back to you.”

“Thank you.”

Cassandra frowned faintly at Anders’ quick response before she realized what Varric had been trying to tell her to not say. When Anders turned his eyes to look at her she bowed her head slightly. “Very well. Leliana, take your scouts here to assist Cullen then. Meet us at the Temple when you can.”

“You can’t leave!” The Chantry man spoke up again, a blazing anger boiling off of him from the dismissal he was given.

“Chancellor, for the last time you have zero authority in this matter.” Cassandra cut in once more, stopping him from going further. “When we return we can address this matter. For now we must act, and act swiftly. Come, we must hurry if we wish to succeed.”

The last was spoken to Anders, Solas, and Varric who moved quickly towards the far end of the bridge. Cassandra lingered for a moment, speaking silently with her eyes to Leliana as she glanced to the Chancellor with faintly narrowed eyes.

The man turned angrily back to the table where a map of the Valley was laid out and he spat his words. “On your heads lay the consequences, Seeker. May the Maker give you sympathy if you are wrong.”

The three males lingered at the end of the bridge for Cassandra and then set out along the path to the barely noticeable fork on it. They were silent the whole way up the snowed over trail, only speaking softly to inform someone about a slick stone or a too deep place to step. It was only when they reached the first of the ladders leading up to the rickety platforms dotted along the face of the mountain that Anders broke the silence. 

“You spoke up in my defense, why?”

Starting the climb, Cassandra was silent for a moment before she spoke. “You are different from what I expected you to be. You willingly chose to come with after Leliana and I explained what was happening, despite the high chance for the aftermath. When the bridge was destroyed and I told you to drop your staff, you  _ were willing _ to do as I ordered. Before that I could see you wanting to help the injured on the entrance to the valley, and even the ones back at the forward camp.”

The blond was speechless as he listened, and she wasn’t even done, her words still coming, spoken stronger and with a conviction he wasn’t expecting. 

“You healed every single soldier at the first Rift we encountered when we met up with Solas and Varric in a split moment during the fighting. Without being asked at that. As of the moment,-” Here she hesitated as they climbed another ladder. “I trust you to not run off. You have been willing to cooperate with us, thus I will be willing to listen and try to understand your point of views. I am willing to vouch for your character when and if there will be need for it.”

A soft choked noise was heard below Anders as he continued the climb up just behind Cassandra and he swallowed. “But you… You would be willing to speak up for a known terrorist? For a crazy and deluded mage?”

Cassandra reached the top of the ladder and turned to reach down and help the blond up. “A crazy and deluded mage wouldn’t have done the things you have so far since waking. For now though, we must hurry. We can continue this later when we are less pressed for time.”

She turned after making sure that both Varric and Solas finished making it safely up the ladder and then gave a short nod before they continued. Anders looked to Varric, his brow furrowed slightly, unnerved by the switch in attitude she had towards him from when he was in the cell. He was thankful she wasn’t being commanding and ordering him around of course, but it threw him off with her changed reaction. Varric shrugged and then gestured for them both to follow after Cassandra and Solas who moved ahead.

“Your friend has been awfully quiet compared to normal. Shouldn’t he have made an appearance or two by now?” Varric quietly asked as they moved across the long platform leading to a slightly protected entrance.  

Anders kept his voice low as the group stopped at the tunnel entrance to look within and check for signs of any sort of enemy. Both of his brows were drawn together as they cautiously stepped into the structure properly once given the clear to do so. “I haven’t heard him since I woke up… It’s unnerving and I don’t know how exactly to feel about the fact it’s so quiet in my head.”

Something prickled at the mages senses and he reached for his staff carefully as Varric spoke just as quietly in return. “That is… I don’t know what to say, Blondie… You think he’s gone?”

“I think so… When Justice and I merged together I lost all kind of contact with the Spirits I called upon… They are all back.” He kept the fact that he wasn’t hearing the Darkspawn to himself for the moment. 

The sound of rocks clattering softly across the ground ahead of the four of them drew them to a quick stop. Weapons were drawn quickly and held at the ready as they rounded a corner and were instantly set upon by a group of shades and wisps. Anders threw up barriers again and bolstered Cassandra’s strength with Fortitudes' help as Hope and Mercy were directed to hold heavy barriers up over them. With such close quarters it was dangerous for him and Solas to use the larger and more destructive spells in their repertoires. 

By the time the last of the shades was down, all four of them were battered and bruised. A flood of his magic filled the area where the group was at, warm and soothing. Anders breathed slowly as he let Compassion work. Something new was bothering him with the situation with Justice being gone, and he couldn’t quite place it.

“Are you alright? You look deep in thought.” Solas’ voice had Anders looking to the elf and he stared at him for a moment before nodding.

“I believe so. Something has changed for me and I’m just trying to figure out what it is and if it poses a danger to myself and the three of you. I don’t think it does, but…” The blond rubbed the back of his neck after he put his staff back in its place.

“What do you believe has changed?” Cassandra spoke up once her blade was wiped free of ichor and resheathed within its’ scabbard. 

Hesitation stalled Anders for a moment before he spoke. “I’m sure Varric has told you that I housed a Spirit of Justice within myself. We were two souls within one body for nearly ten years. I could hear his thoughts and he mine. There was a constant stream of sensation, sound, or even pictures of what needed to be done or of something that caught our attentions. Now though… It’s far too quiet in my head.”

“Perhaps your companion is merely dormant within you?” Solas spoke after a few moments of silence.

A shake of his head was Anders’ beginning. “Not likely. Even when I had been Silenced or Drained I could still hear and feel an undercurrent of power through Justice. It was never enough to matter in a fight, I always recovered quickly with him burning through the abilities before I was put in danger. No, I noticed how silent it was within my head as soon as I woke up. I had truly thought for a short while that I had been given Magebane, but none of the other signs of its’ use made themselves known. I wasn’t sluggish, I didn’t have dry-mouth, nor did I suffer the dizziness that would have been the main effect for me.”

“I could still feel my magic, muffled as it was by the shackles placed on me. It was still there, just out of reach enough I couldn’t touch it. Justice could flare his strength and shatter the containment runes, he'd done it once or twice before when we had a few close calls. But he's been either incredibly silent, and I'm just overlooking his presence or he's no longer there.” Anders rubbed at the back of his neck again, unsure of what could possibly be going on as well as feeling on the spot.

Solas looked to be lost in thought himself, eyes distant and brow faintly furrowed. “There are a few ways we can test this theory later on. After we have sealed the Breach, I would like to call upon you to see if we can discover what became of Justice.”

“Thank you Solas, I would like to have a solid answer to it…”

There was a rough cough from Varric who just lifted a brow, amused at the pair of mages. “We should probably get going, we do have a bit of a time limit. Scouts and soldiers are depending on us.”

“Yes, let us continue. Stay on your guard, there are other signs of fighting ahead.” Cassandra spoke briskly as she turned and continued to lead the way through the tunnel.

Another small scuffle happened just before the four exited the mountain passage and fewer injuries happened to them this time. The chill of the wind up the side of the mountain had Anders shivering and wrapping his arms around himself for a moment. He missed his coat with it's feathers and heavy comforting warmth. Looking around at the snow showed a few pairs of footsteps as well as the fallen body of a scout, too cold to touch to be recent.

In the back of the Spirit Healers head, Mercy cried out once and fell silent at the sight of the man. There were wounds made by demons, indicating a further danger should all of the remaining scouts have survived. Steeling themselves they continued down the snowy path, gaining speed at the sounds of shouting and ringing steel. 

Magic flowed, sour and sharp, from an open and angrily cracking rift in the middle of the group ahead of them. Shades and a rage demon were violently thrashing their way through the group. A war cry left the mouth of the only female in their group as Cassandra drew her blade and charged forward, slamming her shield into the face of a shade. 

Varric started peppering the group of demons, aiming to corral them for the mages into one spot. 

Anders let his Spirits free, Compassion, Mercy, and Hope all rushing forward to ease the hurts of the wounded scouts even as Valor, Fortitude, and Bravery bolstered their strengths and conviction to finish the fight. Solas cast his own spell work, laying ice glyphs down in quick succession as the Rage Demon made its way towards the two mages, seeing them as the larger threat. Crackling shatters as each one triggered echoed even as Anders turned his attention to help Solas, Winter's Grasp bursting from the end of his staff and encasing the beast in crystalline ice. A scout took her chance and lunged forward, driving her daggers through it, shattering the creature from the force. 

More shades were spit out of the Rift and with renewed vigor now that all of the scouts were back on their feet, the group made short work of them. With the rupture of the Rift, Anders held his glowing hand out towards it once more, focusing on the power to shut it. Thankfully this one sealed itself easily and he staggered briefly as the pain lessened in the hand. 

“Thank you Seeker! We had thought we were done for when that Rift appeared out of nowhere.” One of the Scouts spoke up as they slowly gathered together into a group. It seemed they had only lost the one Scout that they had passed one the way down. 

“Thank the prisoner, not me. He insisted that we come this way, and I am glad we did now.” Cassandra responded, looking over each one quickly, her posture relaxing seeing there were no life threatening injuries remaining. All of the Scouts turned their eyes to Anders who shifted from one foot to the other in discomfort, but he didn't look or turn away.

The scout who spoke before nodded with a small smile. “Thank you then. Without your intervention, no one but Sister Leliana would have known we were up here. We sent Darvin back with a message for help, did he…?”

“No. I am sorry, but we found the scout you speak of at the mouth of the passage. Demons had spawned within it and it was likely he was caught off guard. For now return to Camp, the way back is clear.”

“Yes, Seeker. Again thank you. Let’s go!” Seven sets of feet moved quickly and near silently through the snow as their group of four started down the other path. Their group continued on in silence for a few moments before Solas spoke up.

“I was getting a feeling for your magic during the fight. I did notice something I believe to be a little odd with it. Not bad, just… Hmm.” Solas tipped his head to the side as he thought about what his missing word would be to finish his thought. “Unusual or ethereal. There is a quality to it now that I hadn’t noticed when you were unconscious. Have you always had such a deep well of mana at your disposal?”

Anders opened his mouth to speak up regarding the feeling of his magic and he paused, his own brow furrowed in thought. He responded slowly as he pieced his answer, well aware that Cassandra and Varric were listening in. “No, honestly I should have had one or two Lyrium potions downed by now with how much magic I’ve used… I noticed it myself, but figured it was the mark on my hand keeping my mana at a higher level. I feel like I’ve run from a pack of hounds currently, but I don’t feel any of the exhaustion I should be.”

“Hmm, perhaps at a later time we can test your limit and see how long you can cast without stopping.”

The blond watched Solas’ face for a moment before nodding. “I would like to know my new limit, especially if I do somehow survive this...”

“Watch your steps Blondie, there’s a drop ahead. Got a ladder down from here. We’re just about there now.” The dwarf in their midst spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention to him for a moment. He gestured ahead of them where there was a very visible drop off leading closer to what looked like a blast radius. “Keep your wits about you from here on, it’s… It’s not pretty down there.”

An eerie quiet settled over the group as they climbed down the ladder. Following the short and debris littered path, they reached the final corner to the ruins of the once beautiful Temple. Anders didn’t dare look anywhere but his feet for the moment until he dropped down to the uneven mix of ash, stone, and slag.

When he did look up, air froze in his lungs, eyes fixing on the twisted remains of several dozen people, frozen in fear and pain. Several of the macabre corpses were aflame with a familiar fire, but Anders couldn’t quite place where he had seen them before, almost like an itchy memory was was trying to surface. Finally his voice broke free from the tightness and his words left in a rush. “Oh Maker… Who did this?!”

When Cassandra spoke, her voice was soft, mourning in tone, but thick with conviction and determination. “We do not know for sure. I believe you had no intentional hand in this, but something happened with you there to walk out of the Fade unscathed. Judging by your reaction you truly did not do this…  Whoever did, they will answer for their actions here one way or another.”

“You okay Blondie?” There was a note of concern in Varric’s voice as Anders continued to look around at the destruction and remains. “You’re looking paler than you usually are…”

His skin _ was _ far paler, given a greenish tinge from the presence of the Breach. He turned his eyes to look to Varric, doing his best to now keep his eyes off of their surroundings. This was far worse than the destruction he had caused by blowing up the Chantry. He had helped with some of the recovery efforts in regards to healing those caught in the crossfire, and with some of the cleaning up of the immediate area around the Chantry before he fled when he lost pieces of his disguise.

Anders swallowed thickly as he turned his face to focus solely on Varric. “No… No I’m not. I’ve seen horrible things, and done a few myself. But this? I feel like I’m going to be sick. Kirkwall wasn’t this bad…”

There was a tightness that was visible at the dwarfs eyes briefly, at the mention of his beloved home, but it smoothed out. “I know Blondie, this  _ is _ worse. That’s why we need to stop the Breach and find out  _ who  _ did this. It’s better further in, well… better than this at least.”

“We shouldn’t linger too much longer. The Breach continues to grow larger while we stand here.” Solas spoke softly, intending to draw their attention away from the carnage around them and back to the task they had set out to do.

“Yes. This way.” The group followed after Cassandra once Anders steadied himself. She brought them through the destruction on a quick path around the edge to an opening of what used to be an ornately carved hallway. One wall was fully collapsed and the ceiling was caved in partly on that side, and cracked all along its length. 

A small bubble of relief filled Anders’ chest as they left the area where the poor souls bodies were frozen in agony. There was a loud crackle from ahead of them and it was followed by a sharp lance of pain up his arm once more. He inhaled sharply and clenched his hand tightly, trying to ignore the pain as he moved past the last of the bodies and out into the heart of the detonation area. His breath caught in his chest again as he looked at everything.

The railings smashed in along the once graceful terraces, arches cracked and crumbling, still burning ethereal fires pitting the floors and clinging to some walls. Dominating the center of the area was the roiling and fluctuating mass of the Breach, the cracks and snaps sounding far more thunderous and angry than further away. He stopped, staring up at the hole ripped through the Veil with a choked noise as the sharply soured, citrus smell from the Fade overpowered the lingering stench of burned flesh and ozone. Crunching of boots on either side of him showed his companions having come to a stop on either side of him and he only looked down at a brush against his hip. 

“Breach is a long way up isn’t it?” Varric was looking up at the opening, a small glint of fear on his face and Anders turned his head back up to the sky.

“Yes… It really is.”

“You made it! The scouts positioned outside sent word once you arrived.” Leliana’s voice came from behind them as she and a larger party of scouts arrived. “Cullen and his forces are holding up well. They won’t be able to assist us with this however, many are injured and we don’t know how much of a fight the Breach will put up.”

“Understood. Take your men and position them around the room. As you said, we  _ will _ attract unwanted attention through the other side and will need all the help we can get.” Cassandra gestured to the rest of the room as Leliana barked out a few quick orders which sent all the scouts behind her to positions that had to have been pre discussed. “We’ll head down there now. Be ready for when we reach it.”

“I will join you.”

Anders had turned his attention back to the room when Leliana had given out her orders and his brows were pushed together, something obviously bothering him about the room. He only started to move when there was a light nudge against his hip again from Varric and he turned his attention to the path ahead only to stop when Cassandra turned to face him.

“Are you ready? This is possibly our only chance to end this.”

A small sliver of doubt build in his chest, which had Hope fluttering gently against his senses to comfort him and bolster his resolve. A steady breath and he nodded. “I’ll have to be. I don’t know if I can reach it let alone close it, but I will have to try.”

“No, this is the first. This Rift is the key and must be closed to prevent anymore from forming without warning.”

Anders looked over to Solas and saw that the elf was watching the tear in the sky with an intensity he wasn’t expecting. As if feeling eyes on him, Solas looked to Anders and the corner of his lips quirked faintly before straightening as Cassandra cleared her throat again. 

“This way. We’ve cleared as much of a path down as we could manage. Mind your steps.” 

The group moved as quickly and carefully as they could, going around the outer edge of the upper terrace. A shift in the magic around them had the blond stopping and looking up at the sky as an echoing and eerily familiar voice spoke. 

_ “Now is the hour of our victory. Bring forth the sacrifice.” _

Cassandra had stopped at Anders shoulder, her head turned up to the sky as well, brow furrowed and a perturbed frown on her lips. “What are we hearing?”

“At a guess; the one who opened the Breach.” Solas too was looking up, Varric looking unnerved, and Leliana’s eyes were narrowed as she listened. 

When nothing more was echoed through the Fade, the group continued on. Another familiar sound reached Anders’ ears and he stopped as they rounded a collection of jagged rocks. “No…”

A sharp inhale behind him was heard as Varric stopped at the sight of the unwanted presence. “You know this is Red Lyrium, Seeker.”

“I see it Varric.” Was her curt reply.

“But what’s it  _ doing here _ ?” Because Anders knew to listen for it, and with how familiar he was with the dwarf, there was a small twinge of fear in Varric’s voice. Red Lyrium brought back horrible memories, and he was honestly wondering if what happened in Kirkwall was added to thanks to the Lyrium Idol that Meredith had. Nightmares of being trapped in the Deep Roads for those weeks thanks to Bartrand poked and pressed against him, almost as if it was urging him to fail.

He shoved those thoughts to the side though as Solas spoke up once more, a faint undercurrent of agitation sparking through a few of his Spirit companions as he put his attention on the elf. “Magic could have drawn on Lyrium beneath the Temple, corrupted it…”

A disgruntled noise left the dwarf again. “It’s evil. Whatever you do, don’t touch it. Bad shit seems to happen around it. A lot.”

“I want to know why it’s up here too, Varric...It  _ shouldn’t be _ anywhere near the surface…” Anders murmured softly.

Carefully edging around the Red Lyrium, the blond lead the group forward once more, only to stop as they turned to go down a partly intact stretch of smooth stone. The voice from before spoke again, echoing through the open air and the chamber around them. 

_ “Keep the sacrifice still.” _

_ “Someone help me!”  _ An accented voice cried out through the magic.

“That is Divine Justinia’s voice!” There was an edge of fear in Cassandra’s voice as they moved again when no other words were spoken. Urgency pushed the group to continue and the Seeker once more took the lead. 

The sound of the Red Lyrium around them as they stepped between fallen rocks and the metal speared up through the ground had Anders shying away from it as far as he could. Not only because it was toxic to him, but also because he didn’t like the sound it was making at all. It reminded him eerily of the call of the Darkspawn, scratching and keening sounds that had a low, sinister and alluring sounding melody under it all.

“Down there. The rocks are loose, we have tried to remove as much of it we could, but it is difficult to do so when there are demons pressing in on us.” The sound of Leliana’s voice startled Anders for a moment and he looked over to her, seeing her eyes focused on the Breach in front of them. 

“Right…” the blond murmured as he reached the broken railing at the bottom of the cracked steps. 

One by one they dropped to the floor and straightened up to dust themselves off. A sharp flare of pain stopped Anders for a few moments and he lifted his hand while gritting his teeth to clutch his wrist as it reached a peak, then cut off abruptly. Dropping his hands back down he moved to round the pillar where a once graceful and beautiful statue of Andraste once stood.

_ “Someone help me!” _

_ “Whats going o- You!?” _ That was  _ his _ voice. It had his brow furrowing in instant confusion as he tried to figure out what was going on. 

Confusion was evident in Cassandra’s voice behind him. “That… Was your voice. Most Holy called out to you but…”

A burst of Fade energy exploded around them; wisps, confused and terrified, coalesced into blurry and distorted images once the light dimmed. The room had ‘rebuilt’ itself around them and there were several blurred out figures in the room. The Divine herself was clear as glass, down to the fact that her hands were far more wrinkled than they should have been. She had been  _ young, _ only in her upper 30’s, younger than him, and seeing this happening lead to many more questions. Red flickering twists of energy were twined around her outstretched arms, holding her aloft and preventing her from struggling. _ “Someone help me!” _

Flickers of memory darted forward in Anders’ mind before disappearing before he could try and piece together what had happened. To the right of the illusion the faint sound of a door opened and Anders saw himself, clearly visible like the Divine, step into the room. The hood of his cloak was up at the moment, and he lifted a hand to drop it down before freezing as he spoke.  _ “What’s going o- You?!” _

_ “Run while you can! Warn them!” _

Anders could see his eyes flicker and his skin crack as a tall looming figure formed a little clearer. It was still barely visible, but the person was far taller than him by two hand spans at least, and it’s attention snapped over to him.  _ “We have an interloper. Get rid of this pest.” _

The air flared brightly once more even as a lingering scream of rage Anders recognized as his voice mingled with Justices yelled.  _ “You will not finish this!” _

 Only a few seconds were between the flash and Cassandra’s hand taking his shoulder in a firm grip, turning him to face her. Her tone was strained, anger clearly evident, fear and a small longing for hope. “You  _ were _ there! Who attacked? And the Divine, is she…? Was this vision true? What are we seeing?”

He answered honestly. “I don’t remember. All I remember is hiding in one of the servants’ passages, listening to some of the talks and then… I could have sworn I heard something familiar. Then just… Brief flickers of being chased in the Fade, reaching for someone, and waking up in the dungeon in Haven. Everything else is just…. Gone.”

“These are just echoes of the Fade, mirrors of what happened here reenacted by wisps. The Fade bleeds heavily here.” Solas had slipped past them to stand closer to the Breach’s catalyst Rift, diffusing the situation before it could grow out of hand. He had his staff in hand as everyone’s attention turned to the elf who was watching them. “The Rift here is not yet sealed, but it is closed… albeit temporarily. I believe that with the mark on your hand, the Rift can be opened, then sealed properly and safely.”

His eyes looked briefly up to the scouts that dotted the terraces above them and to the scouts on the ground behind their group. “However, opening it  _ will _ attract unwanted attention from the other side.”

A slow breath was taken in as Anders glanced over to Cassandra who straightened back up, looking over her shoulders as she turned briefly to let her voice carry. “That means demons. Stand ready!”

The next few minutes were a rush of activity, scouts properly settling into position, a few more pieces of rubble pushed to the walls. Anders even managed to worm his way around to tend to a few wounds that some of the scouts still had that could possibly hinder their abilities to fight. Some of the fighters were wary of Anders’ magic, but he did nothing but what he said he would, under Leliana’s watchful eyes. 

All too soon an apprehensive hush fell over the whole room. Anders stood slightly beneath the crackling and angry mass of magic, kind of unsure if this would work, but he was here, and he  _ was _ going to do something to right this wrong. He glanced over his shoulder to see where his companions were at and saw Cassandra nod to him even as Varric held Bianca at the ready.

_ Right. Here goes nothing. _

Within seconds of him lifting his left hand to the Breach, the magic in the mark and the Rift snapped. A deep and malevolent sounding laugh echoed through the area as the sickly green light grew brighter before unleashing a beam of crackling green energy. It struck the ground below the front terrace and drew into the shape of an enormous Pride Demon. 

Flashbacks to the last time he had encountered one had him swallowing and releasing his hold on his magic, wishing he had more in his repertoire than Storm and Fire magics. Not even finding a broken hilt would help as he knew he was out of practice and ran the chance of being more of a hindrance than a help when it came down to it. He shoved all outside thoughts away and shook his head to focus on keeping everyone alive. 

As he had thought before, his usual Storm classed magic slid right off of the Pride demon’s skin like water and it set the beast laughing at them. Arrows peppered it from above, barely nicking the fade armor it called up to surround it, and the warriors on the ground were barely able to make any sort of damage to it as well. Even the Blizzard and Inferno class spells that Solas and he were throwing against the guards that the demon had built for itself.

Pain flared up Anders arm sharply and for a moment his concentration broke. He didn’t get more than a split second to attempt to recover before he was knocked flying by a whip of electricity to his midsection. Someone caught him, sending them both tumbling to the ground roughly, leaving both of them dizzy from the impact. 

Rolling to his feet, he shook his head and he flung his hands out, a pulse from Mind Blast sending debris flying towards the Pride demon in an effort to distract it long enough to allow the warriors a slightly better chance. He brought his left hand back and turned to help the scout up who caught him, tugging the man to his feet and sending a wave of healing through him. An idea struck him and he quickly spilled it out to the man. “Get a few others and flank it. Go for it’s ankles and tendons! If we can get it down we might have a chance!”

When the man’s eyes widened in realization and he took off for a trio that were harrying it’s front to do as suggested, Anders cast another widespread barrier. It covered those on the ground even as a ball of electricity slammed into the midst of a group which had Cassandra among them. She lunged forward, to slice into its knee, the blade just barely glancing off the shimmering armor. 

Suddenly, the sound of Solas’ voice echoed over the group. “Quickly, disrupt the Rift!”

It only took a moment for him to piece out what the elf meant and he lifted his hand, palm towards the writhing green mass. Fade magic ripped from his palm, making him grit his teeth as he pulled on what he could consider a ‘corner’ of the rift. It wasn’t enough to close the opening, but it did cause a disturbance large enough to knock the demon to its knees when it’s shield shattered. Triumphant cries echoed through the warriors and rogues on the ground as they set about whittling away the beasts health and stamina.

That triumph however was short lived as several shades spilled out of the Rift when it shifted back and started to attack the scouts and soldiers at the back. Anders couldn’t use Firestorm or Blizzard without hurting any of the scouts, so he focused on single shot spells, Fireball and Ice Bolts slamming into the creatures. Even Varric and Solas were working rather well at the far side, the elf freezing them and the dwarf peppering their frozen effigies until they either shattered at his effort or another warriors. Again, Anders lifted his left hand up as another dark laugh echoed through the area. 

“Again! It’s defenses are back up!”

Gritting his teeth against the surge of pain and flow of magic, he worked on rupturing the Rift to shred the defenses that were covering the Pride demon once more. This time took a little more effort to shift the Rift enough to disturb the monstrosities armor. When it went down once more and no other demons spilled forth to assist it, the assault began once more. 

Now of all times, Anders could feel himself flagging. Constantly replenishing dozens of shields and sending out spells to keep the warriors and rogues on their feet was taking its toll on his already high stamina. Another whip, once it had staggered back up to its feet, slammed into some of the soldiers, but they held firm, stumblinging backwards from the impacts just enough to regain their footing. 

Black ichor spilled from dozens of wounds on the demon’s body, splattering the ground beneath it and showering the men and women attacking its legs. From his position at the back of the group, Anders could see the soldier from earlier, burying his blades deeply into the left calf of thick muscle. A bellow echoed through the open room as it finally dropped to its hands and knees. Cassandra took the opening and lunged forward as it’s chest came down, burying her blade up through the side of it’s throat.

An earsplitting shatter followed the demon’s demise, green light splitting and spreading for a moment as the Breach struggled to right itself with the loss of the demon’s stability. Without being prompted Anders swallowed and stepped forward, thrusting his hand up towards the roiling green energy and felt the Fade latch onto his magic.

The effects were instant, almost like the very air around him stilled and thickened. Voices shouting around him were muffled, and he grit his teeth through the building pain ringing up his arm. Everything around him was like listening through water, no one around him mattered at the moment, just closing the Breach above him. 

But it  _ fought _ .

There was blackness curling at the edges of his vision as he clenched his fingers into a fist. 

_ It is like shutting a door, Anders. Pull the handle, latch it tightly. _

That darkness was drawing closer with every passing breath as he took one step backwards, then another. He could feel his strength flagging as he tried to pull his hand back like he did for the other Rifts he had shut. A surge of warmth and strength rushed through him, one he was intimately familiar with and it felt as if two heavy, yet comforting hands were on his shoulders, guiding him and giving him what was needed.

_ You can stop this Anders. _

With that thought echoing in his mind, Anders  _ yanked _ his arm back with a cry, the magic connecting him to the Breach snapping into nothing but a sizzling ball, rising fast. He hit his knees the instant they buckled, then fell to the side. His mind was reeling and the world around him spinning and bucking. Dimly he heard the thunderous roaring of the magic halt the Breach above them and his eyes slowly slid to look at the sky high above where the green swirl was. It was still there and it wavered in his vision, slowing in it’s rotation.

Suddenly hands were on his shoulder, rolling him onto his back. The mage could see Varric panicked worry in his eyes, Cassandra, her lips moving unheard, and… was that Cullen?- above him, orders being called out, but unheard as he finally slipped under the warmth that the darkness of sleep offered.

He wouldn’t wake for three long days.


End file.
